Recitatif Recitatif is Toni Morrison’s only published work of short fiction. It tells the story of the conflicted friendship between two girls — one black and one white. The story explores how the relationship between the two main characters is shaped by their racial difference, and their different sides of economic and political divides.

What’s in the title? Recitatif The dictionary meaning is “a musical declamation（朗诵）of the kind used in the narrative and dialogue parts of opera and oratorio（圣乐）.” Toni Morrison uses this word as the title for two reasons. 1) Firstly, the novel is the narration of Twyla, it’s just like a recitatif of her own memory. 2) Secondly, it’s used to encourage and call on the black people to speak up for equality, freedom and democracy.

Main Characters Twyla Benson Twyla is the main character and the story’s narrator. Her mother “danced all night” and was thus unable to care for her. Her childhood experiences exerts side effects on her whole life. She marries into a stable, rooted family and becomes an ordinary housewife. Lacking knowledge and cognitive capacity, her life is totally confined to a narrow sect. she cares nothing about the society and politics and shows indifference towards the disabled and the black.

Roberta Fisk Roberta is Twyla’s friend and she is also the source of the main conflict of the story. Roberta’s mother is a stern, religious woman who is too sick to care for her. Though with similar childhood experience, Roberta’s adult life forms a striking contrast with that of Twyla’s. She marries a wealthy executive and lives in well-off life. She is race-conscious, society-conscious and has rebellious spirit. She never forgets the insults Maggie suffered, she leads the black women to strive for equality for the black, democracy and freedom for the whole nation. Roberta is brave and intelligent , different from the traditional black women.

Maggie Maggie works at the kitchen of the orphanage. She is a dumb black woman and is often laughed at. Maggie is a traditional black woman compared with Roberta. She is the typical character of black people, who choose to tolerate all the sufferings and misfortune.

Though Toni Morrison doesn’t disclose which character is white and which is black, we can infer through several clues in this novel. Let’s settle the following 2 puzzles in this novel. 1) When Maggie, the old black woman, was insulted by the white people, why did Roberta refused to help her and even want to join the white? The reason is that Maggie is the epitome(缩影) of the bitter and disgraceful history of the black, and that’s exactly what Roberta hated and didn’t want to face up to. Roberta was childish at that time and blamed her misfortune to her color and skin. 2) Why did Roberta oppose bussing(美国反种族隔离校车制) ? In a poll taken in the early 1970s, very low percentages of whites (4%) and blacks (9%) supported forced busing. Just like many other black women, Roberta opposed bussing because children being bused to schools in dangerous neighborhoods compromises their education and personal safety.

The first time Twyla and Roberta met after leaving the orphanage was the time when the Black People Civil Rights Movement was on the rise. Like many other black young people, Twyla wore big and wild hair, smoke and listened to rock music so as to express their social protest. At the end of the story, Roberta cried and asked “What the hell happened to Maggie?”. This shows her uncertainty about the black’s future.

Unreliable Narration不可靠叙述 An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose credibility has been seriously compromised. The use of this type of narrator is called unreliable narration .

Unreliable Narrator in Recitatif The racial discrimination of the society and the striving of the black are portrayed from Twyla’s perspective. She is an unreliable narrator for the following two reasons. 1) Twyla is a white woman lacking moral values. At the beginning of this novel, Twyla shows that she discriminates against the disabled as well as the black. Therefore, her narration is too subjective to be true. 2) Her limited knowledge and cognitive capacity also contribute to her unreliable narration. What she cares about is only her family life. Her indifference towards society and politics also lead to her failure to form an objective opinion of racial segregation and the anti—segregation movement.

Effects of Unreliable Narration Unreliable narration contributes to the shaping of characters in the novel, it also forces the readers to reflect on the narrator’s statement before making judgment, thus having a more comprehensive and objective understanding.

Themes Race and Racism The issue of race and racism is central to the story. Twyla’s first response to rooming with Roberta at St. Bonny’s is to feel sick to her stomach. Throughout the story Twyla and Roberta’s friendship is inhibited by this sense of an uncrossable racial divide, played out against the background of national racial tensions such as the busing crisis. Friendship The story explores the possibilities and the failures of Twyla and Roberta’s friendship. The similar childhood experiences establish that their situations are parallel on the one hand, yet opposite on the other. It is this quality that makes friendship between the girls such a complicated prospect. Throughout the story the women’s situations mirror each other, with certain correspondences bringing them together, but with just as many differences causing conflict, distrust, and resentment.

The end. Thank you. 06外译 05郑晓燕